2008 Cadillac CTS: There's Warmth in the Way It Drives

First, the Evo MR is perfect for transporting delicious tacos, now the CTS is the go-to choice for baguettes. Erin's certainly carving out a niche for herself.

It's those flaws that make it endearing, give it character.

For the record, I cross-shopped the two.

The heart wants what it wants. Mine wanted a V8.

Couldn't agree more. In the past few years I've realized, more and more, that the best car for me to buy is the one that endears itself to my heart.

My subaru legacy gt fits that description. It's got a grainy, chunky drivetrain, makes unpleasant noises compared to most cars, and power delivery is not nearly smooth enough.

But it somehow is just very lovable :)

Joe

Looks like you're driving with Beaker!

"Looks like you're driving with Beaker!"

[glances up at the Beaker plushie I bought for my wife - a Beaker fan]

Yup, indeed it does!

I know what you mean - some cars seem like a logical better choice than others based on all objective measures, but sometimes an otherwise lesser machine just has that special something that makes it more than the sum of its parts. Glad to hear the CTS has it.

BTW, Erin's posts are my favorite now. They educate and amuse. Thanks!

Enjoy Beeker fans! :o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KANI2dpXLw

Caption: Is that bread in your console, or do you just REALLY like this car?

"I decided not to get the short shifter."

G8 and CTS are both RWD but have different appeal. The G8 is for someone who wants performance and space at the expense of the latest lux features. CTS offers everything a techie or lux car fan could want in a smaller package. Really which car you buy is largely a matter of how much you want to spend. A loaded G8 GT is about the price of a base model CTS.

Never heard anyone complain the mid level FE2 suspension can be too firm at times. Interesting...

I have a hard time its too firm for anyone who thinks a BMW with sport package as a supple ride.

Since when were BMW and Mercedes "perfect"? No car is perfect. You know that.

There are different degrees of suspension tuning and chassis firmness. My 08 Subaru Legacy GT handles well not because the suspension is firm (It's incredible soft), but because it has a low center of gravity and a very tight chassis. And it handles bumps/ruffled roadways very well because of this combination.

Comparatively, my 06 Civic SI handles well because it's stiffly sprung/damped and has a tight chassis, but the car loses it's balance on rough pavement.

Sounds like the Caddy loses some of it's balance on disjointed roadways with the FE2 suspension. Or could just be the roads she's on.

Even though the BMW 3-series has a firmer ride than most, I find it MORE comfortable than most others because it's tightly controlled and never "shivers". I've learned to hate that shudder/shiver from my tightly sprung SI.

No one else has complained about the FE2 suspension. The FE3 is the sports suspension that has been called harsh. I doubt German car fans would find the FE2 ride too firm.

Well, um, ok. Where exactly are you going with this? There is a difference between a car becoming unsettled and a car being too firm (trying to point that out above).

BMW offers a firm ride but somehow manages to never really get unsettled. Some people hate that firmness. Some people love the firmness and the way the car feels.

I enjoy cars with a firm suspension but dislike cars that get unsettled easily. Sounds like Erin was observing that and commenting that she doesn't like the car getting unsettled.

Erin - Want to chime in here with a clarification? Is this suspension too firm when hitting normal divots and seperations in the road, or just too firm when traveling at high speeds over bumps and the car looses some composure?

I like the new CTS (with FE3) more than the 09 G37 I drove this weekend. I feel the CTS felt more BMW-like than the G which felt tall and ungainly.

I haven't seen many CTS's witht he FE3 suspension; definitely none I could drive. How did the engines compare? I've been wanting to test out the G37 sedan.

All: This is one of those not infrequent situations where I just didn't explain/write very well.

"Sometimes, though, the ride is too firm -- to the point that the chassis feels unsettled on the grooved concrete slabs of the I-405 freeway."

On most surfaces, our CTS with FE2 suspension is compliant enough. It also absorbs larger bumps with reasonable grace.

But many of the freeways in LA have rain grooves and expansion joints, and I feel every one of them through the Cadillac's driver seat. It's super bad to the point that I hate the car, but considering this is not the most aggressive suspension, FE2 gives you a surprisingly busy ride.

And if I'm going to live with a busy ride, I might as well just get the maximum-attack FE3 suspension.